Tears of Blood
by Heart of PureSilver
Summary: "Shinobi or Soul Reaper; Will of Fire or Soul Society pride. It doesn't matter. I am still Itachi Uchiha and I will protect what's precious to me." Itachi Uchiha died, but thanks to a Soul Reaper he is able to pass on to the Soul Society. However, Itachi is drawn into yet another war; one that must be won at all costs. How much suffering can one man endure before he finally breaks?
1. A New Beginning

Sasuke stood against a wall, frozen in terror as his elder brother's battered body loomed ever closer to him. This was it; the final battle between the two blood brothers of the Uchiha and he was going to lose. He was going to die once Itachi was done tearing his Sharingan from his eye sockets, just like he had done when he was caught in his brother's Tsukuyomi. He could feel his breath hitch; his knees shaking uncontrollably as deep innate fear flooded his mind. His hands were so close. Sasuke was trapped, weakened, and completely at the mercy of his brother's will.

After everything he had been through, this was his fate? He had betrayed his village, betrayed his sensei, and betrayed his best friend all for the sake of power. The power to kill this man in front of him; Itachi Uchiha. This man; the man who had slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan, the one who left him alive so he could test his capabilities, and the person who Sasuke had once looked up to and admired with all his heart. Was he doomed from the start? To never be able to carry out his revenge? Sasuke didn't know. He watched as the blood-coated fingers moved towards his face.

But then, Itachi whispered something to him. His voice was so worn and soft, he almost didn't catch it.

"Forgive me, Sasuke…this is it…"

He smiled.

The two fingers tapped his forehead instead of gouging out his eyes.

It was a simple action with so much meaning behind it. Itachi always did such a gesture to him when they were younger, oftentimes to tease him or to tell Sasuke he was too busy to train him and that he'd do it "next time". It was back when they were still…brothers. Sasuke stared at his brother, too shocked to move a muscle. He felt the fingers slide down his face, blood trailing down as they began falling lifelessly from his chin. Itachi fell forward, his head slamming against the wall behind Sasuke. Dropping to his knees and collapsing to the ground, Itachi fell.

"_Yes…this is it…_" were Itachi's last thoughts before his world was consumed in darkness.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been stuck in that darkness. It certainly wasn't what he pictured Heaven or Hell to look like. Was this considered _limbo_? If that was the case, then why was he there? After killing his entire clan except his brother, forced said brother to become revenge-induced by feeding him lie after lie throughout his life, committed numerous assassination missions during his time in ANBU, and making numerous innocent souls suffer beyond compare, he was almost positive he'd end up in Hell.

"Oi."

Who was there? Was there some other poor wretch lingering on in this endless expanse of blackness?

"Oi!"

The voice was getting louder. In fact, it sounded like it was coming from right next to him…

"OI! WAKEY-WAKEY!"

He felt a splitting pain and the darkness cleared up into the world he had supposedly left. He shot upwards, grabbing hold of the assaulted area on his scalp. He clenched his eyes shut, half from the blinding sun overhead and half from the throbbing on his head.

"Hooray!" the voice said cheerily from behind him. "You're okay!"

Itachi took his hands down from his head, turning it to see who spoke. Instead of a face, he got a face full of something soft and…fleshy.

"Ooooooooh! You're cute AND handsome!" the, now known, well-endowed woman squealed as she hugged him ferociously. "I'm so happy the Soul Society Captains picked me this year to help souls pass on in this place! Some of the men here are absolutely dreamy!"

There were many thoughts running through his head at that moment. How was he able to see clearly when the Mangekyou Sharingan nearly caused him complete blindness in his battle against his brother? What happened to Sasuke? Who was this woman? Help souls pass on? Soul Society? Captains? And _how _in the world was he still _**alive**_?

Strong arms were wrapped around his head, forcing him farther into the "crevice of death". Itachi attempted to pry the woman's arms off him so he could breathe, but she was a lot stronger than he first thought. She did eventually let go, allowing Itachi access to the wonderful element known as oxygen. He backed away a considerable amount from the woman, his face flushed due to the suggestive position he had been in. Never in his life had he seen a woman have the audacity to shove a shinobi, much less _Itachi Uchiha_, S-Ranked missing-nin and the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan before the massacre, in between the "mounds of Venus" before and he never wanted to experience it again. _Ever_.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties with shoulder-length strawberry-blonde hair and ice blue eyes. A pink cloth was wrapped around her neck. She was dressed in a black kimono; though the opening to the kimono was scantily placed, causing her assets to be highlighted. She was currently pouting, her arms folded across her voluminous chest.

"Oh, come on now. I'm not gonna bite," she said.

Itachi remained silent, still willing the flush on his face to go away. Never in his years as a shinobi had he been thrust into such a vulgar position. The woman seemed to be oblivious to his obvious discomfort, so she got closer to him. He instinctively backed away from the woman's face as it got closer, not wanting to end up in the same position as before. She smiled at him in a friendly manner.

"I get it. You're one of the new ones, aren't you?" she guessed, her face mere centimeters from Itachi's. "Don't be scared. Things will be alright. It's only natural that you'd be confused since you just died."

"What? I'm…? But how? I thought…" he stuttered, his eyes widening slightly.

Her face became solemn as she pointed a finger at his chest. Itachi blinked in confusion. He looked down and noticed it; a broken chain was connected to his chest. He felt his heart jump into his throat as he saw the object. Why was it there? What exactly was it? Now that he took notice of it, it seemed as if gravity had decided to increase on him, making it harder for him to breathe. He made a move to grab the chain, but his hand seemed to move sluggishly as he did so.

Taking hold of the object only strengthened the reality that he was finally dead. Sasuke had "avenged" the Uchiha Clan. He would return to the village now. He could bring honor back to a revived Uchiha Clan. The truth behind all Itachi's actions would follow him into the afterlife, never to be revealed and seen by the light of day.

"So…I'm really dead?" he said.

"Yes," she explained. "Your Chain of Fate is broken."

"Chain…of Fate?" he barely breathed out. The woman gave him an empathetic smile.

"When the Chain of Fate is severed from the body, the soul is released. It's often hard for the soul to move and breathe soon after death, which is what you're experiencing now. But you won't have time to get used to it.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to send you to the Soul Society."

He blinked owlishly at her. "Soul Society?"

"Yeah," she said. "In your terms, you would call it 'Heaven'. You'll never go hungry there and you'll be happy."

"So, you're an angel?" Itachi asked.

"I'm beautiful like one but, unfortunately, I'm not. Do you see any wings here?" she laughed as she flapped her arms up and down like wings. "I'm a Soul Reaper. Also known as a Shinigami, or death god. Our job is to help souls with lingering regrets in the World of the Living pass on to the Soul Society."

"Lingering regrets?" Itachi repeated.

He placed a finger to his chin. He didn't have any regrets, so why was he here? Unless…Madara! Madara Uchiha. If he told Sasuke about what happened to cause the Uchiha massacre and why it happened, surely Sasuke would go on a rampage. He wanted to protect his village and his brother, not end up creating another potential enemy! He couldn't let that happen.

"Listen," the woman said, a serious tone in her voice. Did she read his thoughts? She was smarter than she looked. "You can't stay here. You risk harming loved ones and family members if you linger on in this world for too long."

Itachi's posture stiffened and this did not go unnoticed by the Soul Reaper. She reached toward her sword and pulled it out. Itachi's breath hitched as he attempted to assume a fighting position. The attempt was botched, since Itachi still hadn't gotten used to his new soul form, and he painfully fell to ground.

"Sorry, but I need to do this," she explained. "We Soul Reapers need to protect all the souls in the World of the Living. I must perform a Konso on you immediately."

Itachi was silent for a long while, as if weighing his options.

"…If you must," Itachi said, his stiff posture relaxing. "However, there's something I need to ask you."

The woman blinked as Itachi looked her in the eyes. She could see that this particular soul had suffered far too much for someone at his age. He didn't look much younger than she did and a certain somber air seemed to hover around him. The facial crevasses on his face made him appear older than he really was and it looked like he was in a constant state of sorrow. She felt pity for this soul and whatever he had suffered through in his life. She knelt down beside him, sword in hand.

"What is your name, Soul Reaper? If you are dead like I am, I am certain there's a chance that we may meet again in the future."

"Aren't you the gentleman?" she joked. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. Nice to meet you…?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Ooooo! A weasel!" she mused, giggling while Itachi deadpanned at her.

She raised her sword so that the hilt was a few centimeters from Itachi's forehead. The hilt glowed a bright blue color before she stamped it on him. An overwhelming sense of peace filled Itachi's body, his mind going black as his vision faded.

"Bye bye, 'Tachi! I hope to see ya again, you lil' weasel," were the last words Itachi heard before unconsciousness claimed him once again.

* * *

He groaned as he willed his eyes open, blinking several times to adjust to the light in the room. A shoddy wooden ceiling greeted him. He sat upright, stretching his sore muscles as he looked around the place he was at. It was a simple room. He was laying on a futon that looked like it had seen better days. There was a separate futon lying on the opposite side of the room and there was no door in the doorway, but cloth hanging overhead was a makeshift. Itachi started rubbing his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him.

The sound of walking feet caught his attention. The door flap opened, revealing an elderly woman wearing a shabby kimono. Her graying black hair was tied up in a bun and she carried a pot in her arms. She smiled sweetly at Itachi as she went to his side. She placed the pot down before kneeling on the floor.

"Finally awake, I see," she said. "I'm glad that you're alright."

"Who are you? Where is this? Why am I here?" Itachi immediately questioned. He was on edge. Being left in an unfamiliar building and lying in a futon while apparently being cared for by an old woman; it was not what he expected when he awoke. Speaking of which, when did he ever fall asleep in the first place?

"Easy, child," she shushed him. "My name is Megumi. This is my home. I found you not far outside the District, lying unconscious in the middle of a wasteland. You were wearing a white kimono, so I knew you were a new soul."

"Hold on…District? New soul?" Itachi repeated. His death and the meeting with Rangiku briefly came back to him. This place must've been the Soul Society she had been talking about. With that in mind, he visibly relaxed.

"This is the Soul Society," she explained, confirming Itachi's suspicions as he looked at her in the eyes. "There is the Rukongai, where all the new souls from the living world come to when they pass on, and the Seireitei, where the Soul Reapers and the nobility live. The Rukongai is split into four sections, North, South, East, and West, with a total of eighty districts within those sections. The higher the district number, the more dangerous it is."

"Which district is this?"

"South Rukongai, District seventy-eight; Inuzuri, also known as Hanging Dog," she answered.

Itachi turned away and sighed. What did he expect? After everything that he did in his life, he couldn't ask for luxury. He was lucky for being able to pass on at all instead of going to Hell. He turned back to Megumi and smiled a bit at her.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"It's no trouble at all, sweetie," she said with a wave of her hand.

"I wish there was something I could do to repay the kindness you have shown me…"

"If you wish that, then I'd appreciate it if you would stay here," she said. "You remind me of a little boy I took in. Sweet little thing. A shame that this place was too rough on him. I see so many children wandering these streets like stray dogs with no one to care for them. I've grown old. I cannot do things I used to be able to. If I can give someone like those children a chance, I'll die happy again."

Itachi remained silent. Even in the afterlife, people still suffered. This was his chance to begin again. A chance to make better choices. A chance to make a difference.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Megumi."

"Thank you, dear. May I ask your name?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Weasel?" she laughed.

"I know it's uncommon, but it was what my mother wanted to name me. Do not laugh at it."

"No! That's not what I meant. I like it. It's a unique name compared to the overused 'Keiji' or 'Shinji' you hear nowadays." She smiled brightly at Itachi. "It's nice to meet you, Itachi Uchiha."

* * *

**It needed to be done, I swear! I read through the various stories where Itachi Uchiha is sent to the Soul Society after he dies and I was rather disappointed by some. The authors make the Soul Society automatically notice him and then he is automatically given a rank on a silver-platter. Where's the struggle? Where's the training? It's unbelievable! Itachi may be a genius, but he still had to work hard to get to the skill level he was at!**

**So in this story, I hope to make Itachi's rise to becoming a Soul Reaper more believable, which means he's right at the starting point for most Soul Reapers; Rukongai. He's gonna go through tough times and he's gonna **_**work**_** to become a Soul Reaper.**

**I did a lot of research over the past few days, coming up with his Zanpakuto, its name, potential Bankai, what powers it would have, what the Zanpakuto spirit looks like, etc. So, I hope you enjoy! Please review!**


	2. Big Brother Again

Itachi stared at the river listlessly. It had been five years since he had first arrived in the Soul Society. So much had happened in that short amount of time. He closed his eyes, venturing back into his memories to find the exact moment where everything changed.

It was the hunger.

Getting hungry in a world where one is not supposed to get hungry. Miss Megumi nearly had a heart attack when he had suddenly collapsed one day while they were searching for herbs for Megumi to sell. He still remembered the earful he had received from the frail woman about making her worry. She then explained that the hunger meant he had high spirit energy, which meant that he could potentially become a Soul Reaper one day. Itachi vehemently opposed the very idea; he was through with fighting and wanted to lead at least a somewhat peaceful life. Since that day, most of Megumi's earnings were used to buy food so Itachi wouldn't die—again—of starvation.

It wasn't long after that when the woman died. She had explained that when souls died, they were supposedly reincarnated into the World of the Living. He couldn't remember how much he stared at the small shack she owned. Death was fleeting and unexpected. Once it happens, it seems unreal. The ones you care for vanish, like a dream upon waking.

Itachi had fended for himself from then on. Living in Inuzuri was tough. One often had to resort to theft and trickery to get what they needed. Although his days as a shinobi had long passed, his body retained its experience from that time. He often found himself wandering the streets of Inuzuri aimlessly, pick-pocketing those who were too stupid to notice. It was one day after another; the same senseless struggle to survive in the dump that was District seventy-eight.

Itachi exhaled as he opened his eyes. Judging from the sun's position in the sky and the stiffness of his legs, he had been standing in the same position for hours. The Uchiha readjusted his dark grey kimono sleeves and began walking toward the market street. It was his daily chore to steal food or money and he hated it with a passion. It made him feel pitiful. As he walked, he kept his eyes open for potential victims who could—

Itachi blinked. He then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Lying in the middle of the street was a boy. His bright red hair contrasted greatly with the rest of his surroundings, which made it difficult to _not_ notice him. The child was lying face down in the dirt, unmoving and only the slight movement of his torso was the only indication that he was still alive. Itachi's long-repressed "big brother" instincts were screaming at him to do something and help the child. He rushed up to the kid, turning him over on his back and examining him. He was skinny from malnourishment and dirt was smudged over every visible inch of his body. The child's expression was twisted, hurting from exhaustion and hunger. He looked no older than six.

Itachi was greatly reminded of Sasuke. This was a child. He shouldn't be lowered to thieving and running around in the dirt to survive. He should have a family to take care of him; to love him and to be companions to him. Yet, fate was determined to be cruel to children like Sasuke no matter where they grew up. Forced to grow up to survive, destroying their innocence with the reality of life. That was no way to live.

Itachi took the child into his arms. He would not allow that to happen again. Never. He had destroyed Sasuke's childhood because of the actions of the Uchiha clan as well as the orders from Danzo. Here in Inuzuri, there was nothing that held him back. There were no elders to order him around and no rules that needed to be followed. There was no one stopping him from helping this child other than himself.

As Itachi made his way back to his "home", he began pondering his decision. The question was whether or not he _could_ take care of the child and if the kid even wanted to be looked after. He was having enough trouble trying to survive on his own. With his decently high—and steadily growing—spirit energy, Itachi had to steal food almost daily just to keep up his strength for the week. Add a kid onto that and Itachi would have to use more drastic measures—measures he did not want to resort to—to get the supplies he needed. He shook his head. If things did happen that way, let them. He was capable of killing if need be, but only in self-defense or if he had no choice.

He soon arrived at his small shack that he took ownership of once Megumi passed. He laid the small child on the rugged futon, covering him up with a blanket so he could rest. Itachi then went to get some food he had stored away for himself whenever he got hungry. Taking some bread and some taiyaki, he went back to the unconscious child. Itachi closed his eyes before reopening them, his irises scarlet red instead of coal black.

He was still able to use his Sharingan and all the jutsus he had learned when he was alive. Although his body was technically a soul and made up of spirit energy now, it was still a physical body and he could still move and work his bodily functions. As such, he was still able to access the physical energy that was required when controlling chakra. Deeming it as an unexpected addition to his high spirit energy, he decided to practice with his jutsus every now and then so he wouldn't get rusty should he ever need to use them. In a similar manner to seeing chakra, he discovered that the Sharingan could gauge the spirit energy of the individuals around him. What he saw in the child startled him.

The boy had a chakra system. Not once in the five years Itachi had spent in Inuzuri had he seen anyone else like him where the individual had any sort of chakra flow. Not until today, that is. The flow was steady, which indicated that the system was matured and available for use to the user. Whether if the kid had known that he could manipulate chakra or not remained to be seen. Perhaps before he died, the boy was training to become a shinobi. That was the most logical explanation.

Itachi also noticed that the redhead's spirit energy was low due to constant hunger, but he could see that his reserves were capable of being high despite being so young. With proper nourishment and training, he could potentially become a Soul Reaper one day.

Itachi inwardly scoffed. The residents of Rukongai praised the Soul Reapers highly and they rightly deserved the title "death gods" due to the dangerous work that they performed. But anytime he saw one in Inuzuri, he felt nothing but contempt for them. The Soul Reapers he saw abused their power and they took unfair advantage over the poor residents who were struggling to get by. As much as he wanted to interfere when a situation like that came up, he bottled his emotions in and put a tight cork on them. It wasn't his business and he did not need to draw attention to himself when he was attempting to live a peaceful life.

Deactivating his Sharingan, Itachi knelt down and lightly tapped the boy's cheek with his hand. The kid's face contorted for a few seconds before stirring from his dreamless sleep. The boy opened his eyes, revealing bright chocolate brown irises. They zeroed in on Itachi, instantly narrowing in contempt.

"The hell are you?" the redhead grumbled.

"Just a fellow resident of Inuzuri," Itachi answered blankly. "You were laying half-dead in the middle of the market street."

"The hell are we?"

"My home."

"…Is that taiyaki!?" the redhead's mood suddenly brightened as he saw the fish-shaped cake in Itachi's hand.

"Yes?"

"YAY!" he shouted, snatching the taiyaki out of Itachi's hand faster than Kakashi-senpai when buying a new Icha Icha book from the bookstore. Itachi blinked as a dotted outline of where the cake once was in his hand flashed a few times before disappearing. He then redirected his gaze to the child, whose mouth was dripping with bean paste.

"…I see you like taiyaki," Itachi stated as a small sweatdrop ran down his head at the redhead's sudden about-face. He hadn't seen a child devour something so fast in a long time; not since his early teens during the occasional ANBU protection missions for Naruto. When he first witnessed Naruto consume five bowels of ramen in a row—and the blonde was _still_ itching for more afterwards!—he felt his jaw drop behind his ANBU mask. He knew Naruto had inherited Kushina-san's love for the food, but Itachi had no idea how he could eat _that_ much of it and not get sick, "food of the gods" or not.

"Hell yeah I do! It's my favorite!" the redhead said, bringing Itachi out of his thoughts. The child was licking the residue from his fingers and the sides of his mouth.

"I see," the ex-shinobi said. "Tell me, little one; how did you end up in such a state in the middle of the road?"

"Hey! I ain't little, bastard!" the kid snapped angrily. "Don'tcha know who you're talking to, geezer!?"

"A child throwing a temper tantrum," Itachi answered bluntly, deadpanning at the outburst. The redhead ignored his statement.

"I'm Renji Abarai, ya old goat!" the child shouted, pointing a finger in Itachi's face. "I'm gonna be a Soul Reaper one day and I'll kick your ass if you treat me like a scum!"

"Renji Abarai, is it?"

"Yeah, Wrinkles. Remember it!"

Itachi smirked lightly. "Don't worry. I will."

Renji was about to retort, but he instead did a double-take. "Wait, what?"

"I told you I would remember your name. Or did you not truly mean what you said?"

"No! I mean it! It's just…" Renji paused to cross his arms. "You asshole grown-ups never cared much about who I was before. Why should I expect anything different from you, Wrinkles?"

Itachi poked Renji's forehead with his middle and index fingers. "Let me tell you this important life lesson, Renji, and take it to heart. Appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything about a person. For example, you assume I am like every other miserable wretch that you have met in this District. I'm not."

Renji irritably rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, pouting while he did so. "Why'd you poke me?"

Itachi remained quiet, frowning a bit. Renji greatly reminded him of Sasuke, despite the obvious differences in personality. Something he realized when he arrived in the Soul Society was that his memories were slowly disappearing. His time in Akatsuki was practically nonexistent and the faces of friends and family he once knew were gradually becoming foggy. If there was one person he wished to never forget, it would be his younger brother. He would do what he could to cling to those precious memories. The memories of his time alive were the only things that kept him company through the years. It was cruel in a way. Memories were basically the only things of personal value a soul could bring to the Soul Society; to take those away would be similar to taking away one's very identity.

Itachi placed his façade back up, smiling at the child. "Let's just say you remind me of someone."

"You're a weird ass grown-up," Renji bluntly stated. "But I guess it's a good weird. Any other grown-ups would've tossed me out into the street by now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't like being treated like a stray dog, but them assholes do it anyway just 'cause I'm a kid living alone!" Renji snapped. "I'm gonna show 'em all! I'm gonna be a Soul Reaper one day and I'll shove my sword in their faces when I'm livin' in the Seireitei!"

Itachi sighed. "Renji. Getting revenge won't solve anything."

"What would you know, geezer!? You don't know nothing!"

"I know more than you think I do," Itachi said, his eyes sharp as they remained focused on the redhead. "I hurt a number of people when I was alive. In response, those people wanted to do anything to hurt me. In return to that hatred, my family would want to reciprocate that hurt. Tell me Renji; what would happen next if my family returned that hatred?"

"The other family would get mad?"

"And then what?"

"It would…continue?"

"Exactly," Itachi explained. "A cycle of hatred is born and numerous people would get hurt, both the ones who were involved in that cycle and those who were _innocent_ in the whole matter. Do you want to begin such a cycle, Renji? I highly doubt that you do."

"No…" the child mumbled guiltily. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you sorry for? You are still young; you've been forced to grow up in an unsightly place where hatred is easily bred. It's only natural for you to feel loathing towards those who have wronged you. There's no need to be sorry."

"You really are different from other grown-ups, aren't you, Mister?"

"First it was Wrinkles, then it was geezer, and now it's Mister? Why the sudden change in formality?" Itachi asked, smirking at the child.

"Well, you got wrinkles," Renji explained, getting up and pointing at Itachi's facial lines. "Only old people have wrinkles so I thought you were old. So you'd be a geezer."

Itachi sighed. No matter where he was, people always poked fun at his tear-troughs. De…what was it now? The blonde one in Akatsuki who hated his guts; he constantly teased Itachi for them, saying it made him look older than he really was. What could he do about them? He was born with them and they steadily got longer and more pronounced as he grew older. How could he explain that to a child?

"…Astute observation, I suppose," was all he could come up with.

"So, what's your name?"

Itachi blinked. "What?"

"What. Is. Your. Name?" Renji repeated. "You helped me, so I wanna help you."

"You don't have to do that, Renji."

"But I wanna!" the redhead chirped. "I may not remember my Kaa-chan very good, but she always told me to 'repay someone's kindness when they help you'! Don't know what she means by 'repay kindness'; I got no money to buy it, but I still wanna repay ya!"

Itachi held in a snort, placing a hand over his mouth to prevent any laughter that wanted to burst forth from coming. He forgot how innocent and honest young children could be. He rarely saw Sasuke when he was that age because he was almost constantly on missions, so he wasn't used to hearing it. Itachi regained his composure, though a smile still made its way onto his face.

"You want to repay me?"

"Yeah! Whatever it is, I'll buy it!"

Itachi poked Renji's forehead again. "Repayment doesn't always mean buying something, Renji. Sometimes, just doing a favor for someone is just as valuable as any material object."

"Really?" Renji asked, cocking his head in a confused manner while rubbing his poked forehead again. "Then what do you want from me?"

"Would you like to stay here, Renji?"

"EH!?" Renji shouted in disbelief.

"I'm not a fan of children being forced to become adults before their coming of age because of the society they live in," Itachi explained calmly, watching Renji's face mirror that of a gaping fish. "You've already established that you live on your own. That doesn't sit well with me, especially now since I've gotten to know a bit about you. Of course, the decision is entirely up to you whether to accept or not."

"You're willing to let me stay with you?" Renji's bright eyes seemed to expand in amazement the longer they stayed focused on Itachi.

"Yes. Is that really such a surprise?"

"Of course, dumbass!" Renji said. "So…you'd be like my big brother if I said yes?"

"More or less; if that's what you want to view me as."

"Then hell yes! I wanna stay!" Renji jumped out of the futon and tackled Itachi, nearly toppling the ex-shinobi over. He wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck in a fierce grip. The redhead was laughing as he hugged the young adult, slightly choking Itachi while he did so. Renji suddenly paused and let out a small gasp. "Wait a sec!"

"What?" Itachi choked out as he loosened Renji's arms enough so he could breathe.

"I forgot! You didn't tell me your name, nii-san!" Renji exclaimed.

"Itachi. My name is Itachi," replied the Uchiha.

"Doesn't that mean 'weasel'?"

"Yes. I am aware. Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a question for you."

"What is it, nii-san?"

"Do you remember the names of your parents?"

"Um…kinda?" Renji said, scrunching his face up in concentration. "My last name is from tou-san and kaa-chan was Mizuki Uzu…Uzu…Uzu something?"

"Uzumaki?"

"Yeah! That was it! Uzumaki!"

So, it sounded like he was a descendent of the Uzumaki clan, confirming Itachi's suspicions. That explained Renji's fiery red hair that could rival Kushina-san's in intensity and the fact he had a chakra system. There was one last thing left that Itachi needed to find out.

"One last thing. Do you know what chakra is, Renji?"

"What now? Chock-rah?"

That response answered that question. His time in the Soul Society must've wiped almost all his memories from his short time alive. It was Renji's desire to become a Soul Reaper, despite Itachi's misgivings about the profession. As his guardian, it would fall to him to make sure that dream came true. So it would be a blatant advantage for Renji to relearn the concepts of controlling chakra for future uses. The occasional Soul Reapers that Itachi saw did not have the chakra system. If Renji were to learn jutsu, it would be a great surprise tactic to pull on his opponents which could give him the upper hand in combat.

"Hey, Itachi? Can I call you Weasel-nii-san?" Renji asked, bringing Itachi out of his thoughts.

"Please don't…"

"Alright, alright, _alright_! Damn it...Then how about Itachi-nii?"

"That, I am fine with."

"Hooray! Itachi-nii!" Renji cried as he resumed his hugging/choking of Itachi.

"Renji, I can't breathe! Loosen your hug!"

"Whoops! Sorry, Itachi-nii!"

And so the title of big brother was thrust upon Itachi Uchiha once again…

* * *

Tou-san – Father

Kaa-chan – Mother

Nii-san – Big Brother

Itachi-nii – Big Bro Itachi

San – Japanese honorific. Similar to Mr. or Miss in English.

Senpai – Japanese honorific. Used to address someone who is senior to you.

**This took me a while to write up since I was playing around with quite a few ideas of where to head with Itachi's early years in Rukongai. It didn't help that I was trying to come up with a potential cover for this story either. In the end, we got Itachi playing "big brother" for Renji in this chapter.**

**Renji's past isn't explicitly stated other than his time with Rukia, so it allows lots of free room to manipulate his background. I was absentmindedly thinking about Renji in one of my college classes when I suddenly remembered that the Uzumaki clan had trademark red hair. Then I returned thinking about Renji and his bright red hair. It took me two whole minutes of epic failure before I had the epiphany.**

**I hadn't seen the concept used before and I wanted to see how it worked. So, TADAH! I have created the original idea in Bleach/Naruto crossovers that Renji Abarai is a descendent of the Uzumaki clan! He is Renji Abarai-Uzumaki and with Itachi in tow as his big brother, his growth as a person and as a Soul Reaper will change dramatically. Please review!**


	3. Bonding

"Nii-san?"

Itachi ignored the voice.

"Niiiiiiiiiiii-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan."

"Go away."

"Weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel, weasel! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASEL!"

"Renji. Bed. Sleep. _Now_."

"I tried! It didn't work."

"Try harder."

"But I'm _awake_ and I'm booooooooooooooooooored! Let's do something, nii-san!"

Itachi groaned, covering his head with his blanket as he attempted to ignore the small body sitting on his back. Unfortunately for the Uchiha, Renji wasn't giving up so easily. The redhead continued shaking the lump that was his big brother who was hiding under the covers.

"Get up, Itachi-nii! Don't be lazy!"

"It's four in the _morning_, Renji. Come back in two hours."

"Whoa! You can tell what time it is without even opening your eyes? That's so awesome, Itachi-nii!"

"You're going to stay sitting on me until I get up, aren't you?"

"That's the plan!" the redhead chirped.

Renji was suddenly thrown off, landing on his back as Itachi sat up in his futon. From his position on the floor, Renji sputtered as he looked at his big brother. It wasn't long until he burst out laughing. Renji knew what a bad case of "bedhead" looked like, but Itachi seemed to have it worse than most. His long hair was all frizzed up and sticking out in odd angles. Itachi was rubbing his tired eyes as he attempted to wake up, ignoring Renji's laughing while he did so. Waking up at six in the morning he could handle; he was used to that because of his missions as a shinobi. But four in the morning was pushing the boundaries. But if he didn't wake up now, Renji would continue bothering him until he _did_ get up.

Little brothers. You love them dearly. Other times, you love to _hate_ them.

Running his fingers through his tresses, Itachi attempted to tame the frizzed mass that was his hair. All the while, Renji continued laughing.

"I'm glad one of us seems to be enjoying this," Itachi muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Renji eventually calmed down after a decent death glare was sent his way, but he continued to have sudden spurts of giggles every now and then. As he waited for his big brother to finish, the giggles died away. Renji was oddly silent as he watched Itachi mess with his mane of hair.

"Is there something you want to say?" Itachi asked as he noticed the unusually interested look on Renji's face.

"Your hair is prettier than Kaa-chan's was," Renji stated, smirking a bit as Itachi finished tying his hair into its trademark ponytail. Itachi didn't know how to respond to that comment. Should he feel insulted or complimented? Or perhaps a strange combination of both?

"Okay," Itachi said, kneeling down to Renji's level. "What do you want me to do?"

"Do something!"

"…Care to be more specific?"

"Um…tell me what chakra is? It's been bugging me forever!"

"I only told you about it yesterday, Renji…"

"Exactly! Tell me, tell me!"

"Doing just the basics would take the whole day. Do you have the patience for that?" Itachi asked seriously.

"I don't know…but I can try!" Renji answered.

"Alright. Come with me," Itachi said, motioning Renji to follow him as he exited the house.

The ex-shinobi led the child through the streets of Inuzuri to the outskirts of the district. The two traveled through the wilderness to a steep incline leading to a mountain. After hiking up the incline, it revealed an open area that overlooked the entirety of Inuzuri. Renji ran up to the edge jutting out over the district in awe, putting his hand to his forehead to discover how far he could see. He turned to Itachi, a happy grin on his face.

"This view is awesome, Itachi-nii!" he shouted. "How'd you find this place?"

"I come here often for personal reasons," Itachi vaguely explained.

The area was his own private training ground. No one ever bothered to come up to this specific mountain. He didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him or harming anyone unintentionally when he was there. He would practice with his jutsus in this area and it was to his surprise that his jutsus seemed to be more powerful than they were back when he was alive. It was a quiet place, away from the bustling streets of Inuzuri. Since it was early in the morning, the entire field was covered in a thin blanket of dew. Renji seemed to enjoy running his feet through the grass, feeling the wet blades run along his skin.

"What happened there?" Renji questioned innocently, pointing to a charred area of the field. The trees were burnt along their trunks, but the leaves remain unscathed. The rocks nearby looked like they melted in certain areas and there was dead and burnt grass surrounding it.

"Nothing important," Itachi said, steering around the question. He knew well what happened there: he had used a classic fire-style jutsu at that area earlier that week before Renji came under his wing.

"So, ya gonna tell me what chakra is now?" Renji asked, bringing Itachi out of his thoughts.

"Yes. You might want to sit down. This might take some time," Itachi began as Renji did as his big brother suggested. "Chakra is a form of life energy that all living things produce to an extent."

"Cool! So does that mean that everyone has chakra?"

"Yes. You, me, all the residents of Inuzuri; we all have chakra. But what sets them apart from us is that they don't have the ability to utilize chakra."

"What makes us so special? And what does 'utilize' mean?"

"Meaning that they can't control chakra like we do."

"Wait…_control_ chakra?"

"Yes," Itachi continued. He picked a stick off the ground and began drawing figures in the dirt. "Unlike us, the other souls in Inuzuri lack the chakra network and, subsequently, are unable to have the ability to control it."

"Chakra network?"

"You know how blood works in traveling around the body?"

"Yeah! It gets carried through veins and stuff, right?"

"Yes," Itachi pointed to the human-figure he had drawn with the twig. "In a similar manner to how blood circulates through the body, chakra circulates through the body via the chakra network."

"So…chakra is like blood?"

"Exactly. If you lose too much blood, you run the risk of dying. The same thing happens with chakra if you use up too much of it."

"What kinds of things can you do if you use chakra?" Renji curiously asked.

Itachi smirked. "There are many things you can do when you learn how to use chakra. The possibilities are almost limitless. For example, you can climb trees without ever using your hands and walk on water."

Renji's eyes bulged in amazement. "Whoa! Really? That's so cool! You're saying I could do those things?"

"Potentially yes. But you would have to learn how to mold and conserve chakra first."

"Can you teach me, nii-san!? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" Renji begged, his eyes pleading for his elder brother to teach him cool techniques.

Itachi gave a stern look at Renji. "I will. But on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I want you to promise me something," Renji was quiet as Itachi continued talking. "Promise me you will not use these techniques unless you absolutely _have_ to. Surprise tactics are extremely effective in battle. It is better to keep your true abilities hidden for when you need the upper hand in a fight. I want you to be able to defend yourself in case you're on your own, but these techniques are not to be shown off recklessly."

Renji's gaze hardened, indicating he was serious. "I promise, Itachi-nii. I swear on it!"

"Good. Now then…" Itachi stood up. "Shall we begin?"

"Yeah!" Renji cheered in victory.

* * *

"Shit!" Renji moaned as he laid on the ground. "You did this all the time, nii-san!?"

"Now, don't tell me you're tired already?" Itachi teased the panting redhead.

"Hell with you, ya jerk!" the child snapped back.

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow on the training field. The two had spent most of the day going over basic chakra exercises. Itachi learned that Renji was quick to pick up on how the new techniques were done, but his main problem remained in the execution. Despite being so young, the child had a decently large chakra reserve due to his Uzumaki heritage. But because of the abnormally large amount of chakra, he often put too much into the techniques he was attempting to perform. Itachi told him to begin training with the Clone Jutsu, but Renji couldn't seem to make any decent clones because of his lack of controlling the excess chakra. Multiple times and multiple failures of the Clone Jutsu eventually took its toll on the child; hence why he was lying on the ground panting due to exhaustion.

"Is it supposed to make me this tired?"

"On some occasions, yes," Itachi said, kneeling down next to the child and looking over Renji's physical condition with a critical eye.

"How long until I get it right?"

"As long as it takes. Not everyone can execute jutsu on their first try. When they can't, they practice it until they do get it right or they can try a different jutsu that better suits their abilities."

"How long did it take you to get it right, nii-san?"

"The first try."

"Damn it…"

"Alright. Get on," Itachi said, turning away so his back was facing Renji.

"Eh?" the redhead said in confusion, blinking at his brother's back.

"Climb on my back. I'll carry you."

"Yay!" Renji shouted, somehow managing to summon the energy to slam into Itachi's back.

Itachi let a small smile crack onto his face as Renji wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck. Once the redhead was secure, Itachi stood up and began making his way down the steep mountainside. The sun's light soon faded, but the sky remained a beautiful canvas of red, orange, and yellow. As the ex-shinobi made his way through the streets of Inuzuri, he heard Renji giggling on his back. He turned his head just enough so he could see the child's smiling face out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy," Renji answered honestly. "I think I remember doing this with tou-san back when I was alive."

"Oh really?" Itachi said in interest.

"Yeah. I remember looking up to him and wanting to be strong just like him one day."

"Was your father a shinobi?"

"A what now?"

"A ninja."

"Oh! Um…I don't know. But I remember that he wore a headband and it had these weird circles on a metal plate."

A headband with a metal plate that had strange circles. That sounded like the trademark hitai-ate that shinobi from Kumogakure wore. The Village Hidden in the Clouds was situated in the Land of Lightning and it was a fearsome military power. It was also a good indication of what Renji's main chakra nature would be, but whether or not it was Lightning-nature remained to be seen.

"I loved tou-san, but he was never around…" Renji said quietly, as if disappointed. "But Kaa-chan was always there and she said something about tou-san's 'duty' to our homeland. I didn't get what she meant and I still don't get it now. What's a 'duty', Itachi-nii?"

"Duty…is like a responsibility to someone or something, but much more serious," Itachi explained carefully, trying to put an abstract topic into words a child could understand. "I'm sure your father loved you just as much, but his job prevented him from seeing you."

"Oh. Kinda like chores only more serious, huh? I thought it dealt with shit."

"No. I can assure you duty does not deal with _that_, though it can sometimes stink like it."

Renji let out a laugh before his mood became solemn. His hold around Itachi's neck tightened, which did not go unnoticed by the Uchiha. Itachi paused in his walked, turning his head to find Renji's eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Renji?" Itachi said, worried about what the redhead was feeling.

"Do you think he misses me?" he asked softly.

The Uchiha was silent for a few seconds before answering. "I'm sure he misses you very much. He wouldn't be much of a father if he didn't."

"That's good to know…" the kid mumbled, his voice trailing off.

"Renji, I'm not a pillow. Try and stay awake."

The request fell on deaf ears. Itachi exhaled, accepting defeat when he heard the light snores coming from his back. The chakra training must've been more draining on him than Renji let off. It was to be expected. Itachi let himself smile as he continued on his way home. Once again, he was reminded of Sasuke. Although, Sasuke didn't train himself until he could barely move. Yet another distinct difference that made itself known and cemented the fact that Itachi would never see his little brother again. However, it didn't sadden him as much as it used to. He _did_ have family in this place. While not blood-related, Renji was now his little brother and he would protect him. He wouldn't fail Renji like he failed Sasuke; this Itachi swore to himself.

The small shack soon came into view and the Uchiha made his way inside. He gingerly placed Renji on his futon before tucking him in with a blanket. The redhead was still snoring away, a small trail of drool making its way down the corner of his mouth. His decently long crimson hair was spread out on the pillow in a messy fashion. It wouldn't be long until Renji would need a hair tie to tame his long hair lest it get in his face at some point. Itachi smirked at the sight before making his way to his own futon.

"You'll become strong one day. I know you will," he said under his breath as he laid down on the dirty futon.

* * *

Several months had passed since then and Renji was improving greatly in his training to use chakra. Renji seemed to have Naruto's determination when it came to training. If he didn't get a technique right away, he would keep training until he _did_ get it right. Although, Itachi had his suspicions that Renji did some secret training behind his back. There had been a couple incidents when Renji couldn't get a jutsu down one day, but by the next day he would have it seemingly mastered. He also chalked it up to the Shadow Clone Jutsu he had taught to Renji recently. The redhead nearly ruptured Itachi's eardrums from the loud shriek of joy he made when he created his first corporeal clone. His large chakra reserves allowed him to easily access the technique since the jutsu required more chakra than control when executing it. The jutsu was incredibly useful due to the fact that whatever information and experience the clone learned was returned to the original after it dispersed. It was a handy learning tool and Renji exploited it to the best of his ability when Itachi told him this fact.

However, despite the practicality of using Shadow Clones, there were dangers to using it; the most prevalent being chakra depletion. The justu required a significant amount of chakra to perform and then the clones each had to have the original's chakra evenly distributed among them. In order to prevent this, Itachi told Renji to not make more than one Shadow Clone at a time. The most the child was able to produce at one time was three, but that had nearly caused Renji to collapse from the exertion. Itachi was normally a level-headed individual, but he did have moments where his "overprotective brother" instincts got the better of him. The Shadow Clone incident was Renji's first encounter with those instincts and he did not take Itachi's reaction well at all.

"I'm fine, nii-san. I don't want to stop now!"

"No. We're done training for today. I don't want that happening to you again."

"Shut it, weasel! I can still train!"

"No, Renji."

"Damn it, Itachi; I don't need you worrying about me! I can take care of myself! I managed just fine without you and I still can!"

Itachi literally dragged Renji from their training ground when the redhead refused to quit training after that incident. The angry seven-year-old was sulking all through dinner and through the night. The kid was pouting in the corner of the room, his arms crossed in frustration, and his back facing his elder brother when Itachi crawled into his futon.

"Renji, I just don't want you overexerting yourself and getting yourself hurt," Itachi said quietly as he drifted off to sleep. "You can't sulk like this forever…"

"Watch me!" he heard Renji snap in reply. It wasn't long after that when Itachi fell asleep.

Itachi woke up to a cloudy morning. The Uchiha slowly sat up in his futon, stretching his limbs while he did so. He turned his head to Renji's futon to find it empty. Itachi blinked in surprise. Renji was never up earlier than Itachi after that first day of chakra training. The redhead loved to sleep in, so for Renji to wake up early was odd. Itachi got out of his futon and took a quick look outside the house. There were a few people in the streets walking about, but Itachi didn't see the familiar head of red hair among them. Itachi sighed. It appeared that Renji was still upset about the previous day. He was probably training on the mountaintop by himself without dealing with the Uchiha's watchful gaze as he did so.

It would be best to let Renji vent his frustration on his own. Perhaps putting some distance between them would be the best option with the emotional state Renji was in. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to secretly watch over Renji while the redhead trained. He was once a shinobi after all. Espionage was one of the recurring missions he took while in ANBU. As long as he kept his distance, Renji would never know. The child was definitely not a good sensor yet when it came to chakra or spiritual pressure.

The Uchiha casually made his way to their training ground, watching the clouds in the sky darken and thunder began booming in the distance. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the declining weather. It wasn't a good idea to stay out in a storm. Judging from how fast it was forming, he had to get Renji and rush back to their home as soon as possible. An ominous feeling descended upon him as the weather worsened.

"I have a bad feeling…" he muttered to himself as he increased his pace from a walk to a run.

Small droplets of water were splashing onto his face as he ran up the slope of the mountainside. He froze for the briefest instant when he heard Renji scream and the sound of something large making contact with the ground. He felt the dirt below his feet shake from the force and it snapped him out of his state of shock. Itachi took off like a shot, using the Body Flicker technique to get to the mountaintop faster.

What he saw would be burned into his mind for years.

Renji was bleeding from a cut in his shoulder, trembling in fear as a monstrous beast hovered over him. The thing was at least as tall as a building and it was roughly cat-shaped. A white skull-like mask covered its face and Itachi could make out beady yellow eyes in the sockets. A giant hole was situated in its chest. A large tail swished back and forth while the claws on its left paw were dripping with blood; Renji's blood.

"Itachi!" Renji cried out to the Uchiha, tears streaming down his face as his hand clutched his wounded shoulder. Crimson liquid painted the tan skin of Renji's hand.

"**Ah! Another delicious soul has come. This one has even more spirit energy than the runt! It must be my lucky day,**" the cat-like being hissed out as its eyes veered to Itachi.

"Leave nii-san alone!" Renji shouted as he threw a decently sized rock at the monster. The stone hit the white mask, but it all it did was irritate the behemoth.

"**Little brat!**" the cat roared as it launched its paw at Renji.

Renji clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the inevitable crushing power of the monster's attack. However, he felt his body being picked up and wind rushing past his ears at an alarming speed. He felt someone's arms around his torso and legs, securing him in their grip. He precariously opened an eye, spotting Itachi holding him and being a good few meters away from his previous position.

"Itachi!" the redhead shouted in relief. He watched Itachi kneel down, placing him on the ground.

"Stay here. I'll take care of it," Itachi said in a monotone, his eyes sharp and calculating compared to the soft look that was normally in his elder brother's eyes.

"Nii-san?"

Renji didn't get an answer as Itachi turned to face the monster. Unknown to the child, Itachi's coal-colored eyes shifted to crimson red. The three tomoe of the Sharingan spun slowly before melding together, forming a pinwheel pattern in both eyes.

"**I'll devour you both!**" the monster yelled, charging right at the two souls.

Renji's body jolted as the ground below him shook violently. He briefly wondered how Itachi was still maintaining his balance as the giant cat came closer. Faster than his eye could follow, Itachi's hands flew through various signs that Renji couldn't make out. He blinked when he heard his elder brother speak one word that he didn't understand.

"_Amaterasu_."

Renji's jaw fell open, his eyes bugging out when he saw the giant cat monster spontaneously erupt in flames. But what amazed him most was the fact that the flames were pitch-black. He had seen fire and it was always in shades of orange and yellow, but he had never seen black flames before. The thing thrashed around, screeching in agony as the black flames burned away at skin and bone alike. It wasn't long before the beast fell to the ground, unmoving as the black flames continued to burn through its body. The sound of Itachi's knees falling to the ground brought the redhead out of his stupor.

"Itachi!" Renji cried out in worry as he quickly rushed to his brother's side.

The redhead gasped when he saw Itachi clutching his right eye in pain, two trails of blood leaking down his face from under his hand. The blood fell from his chin, spotting the ground with the color red. Despite his grim appearance, Itachi smiled lightly at Renji.

"Are you alright, Renji?" he asked the child.

"Dumbass!" the seven-year-old angrily shouted at the Uchiha. "I'm fine. But…your eye…is it…?"

"My eye is fine, Renji. Don't worry."

"How can I _**NOT**_ worry!? It's frickin' bleeding!"

"I'll be alright. I'm more concerned about your shoulder."

Renji blushed, turning to look at the ground. "Worry about yourself for once, you idiot…"

Itachi pulled his hand away from his eye, tapping Renji's forehead with his fingers. "I could, but you're more liable to do something reckless than I am. You take priority in that aspect."

Renji had a guilty expression on his face as he looked at Itachi's closed eye, the blood still running from it in red trails on his face. It looked almost as if Itachi was crying blood. This sight only made Renji feel more guilty, knowing that it was because of _him_ that it happened. His elder brother was hurt because he was looking for _him_. He was hurt because he protected _him_.

Renji took Itachi's fingers off his forehead, gripping them tightly. A few tears began falling from his eyes. Itachi's left eye blinked at the child's reaction. Renji then suddenly tackled Itachi, hugging him with a death-like grip.

"I'm sorry, Itachi!" the redhead bawled. "I wanted to train alone, but that thing…that thing…it…it came outta nowhere! I tried to get away, but—!"

"Shhh…" Itachi shushed the crying child, running his hand in circles on Renji's back. "You're safe now, Renji. Don't cry."

"After last night, I thought you'd hate me! I thought I'd…If you didn't come when you did…I…"

"Renji…I'm always going to be there for you, even when you don't want me to. I promise you that."

"You promise?" Renji repeated, pulling away from the Uchiha and looking at him with a tear-stained face. Itachi ruffled Renji's messy crimson locks in a reassuring manner, still smiling lightly at him.

"I promise. After all, it's what big brothers do," the Uchiha explained. He then eyed Renji's shoulder. "Now, let's get that wound treated so it won't get infected."

Renji rubbed his eyes in an attempt to stop his tears from falling. He also tried to futilely move his bangs out of his face, but the locks kept falling back in place. Itachi noticed this and kept the small chuckle that wanted to burst forth in check. He took out the black hair tie in his own hair before handing it to Renji. The redhead blinked in confusion at the tie before his eyes shifted to his brother's face.

"Use it to tie your hair back. It'll keep it out of your face," Itachi told him.

Renji smiled as he nodded, taking the relatively long piece of cloth. He tied hair up higher than Itachi would have, reminding the ex-shinobi of Shikaku Nara's hairstyle in the way it looked, but the look oddly suited the redhead.

"Thanks," Renji said, bowing to Itachi to show his gratitude. "Is it alright if I keep it, nii-san?"

Itachi nodded. "Of course. Now, let's get home before—"

"I'm going to get stronger, Itachi!"

Itachi's left eye widened at the bold statement. The sadness and guilt in Renji's eyes disappeared and was replaced by sheer determination. Renji stared at the Uchiha, his hands gripped into fists.

"I don't ever want to see you be hurt again because of me," he declared. "I want to become stronger so you won't have to fight anymore! I'll become a Soul Reaper so I can protect myself; so I can protect _you_ when you need it most!"

"Renji…" was the only thing Itachi could say.

For as long as the Uchiha could remember, fighting was inevitable for him. Living as a shinobi, fighting was something that was ingrained into his life since he was a young child. It was because of fighting that he was exposed to the horrors of the Third Shinobi World War. When he was living the life of an international criminal, there wasn't a day that passed where Itachi didn't expect a fight to break out when anyone saw him. He was always on his own; no one except a choice few people who knew his true intentions. To protect his brother and village: that was his greatest desire. To hear someone say that they would protect _him_ threw Itachi for a loop.

A sudden strike of thunder boomed nearby, causing Renji to grasp onto Itachi's neck in fear. Rain soon began falling in a steady downpour, soaking both males to the skin. Renji was shaking slightly and Itachi let out a small laugh at the shocked look on Renji's face.

"I think you should deal with your fear of thunder before you worry about protecting me," the Uchiha chided sarcastically.

"I'm not scared! I was just surprised, okay!?" Renji snapped indignantly.

"If you say so," Itachi said, standing up after wiping the blood from his face with his kimono sleeve.

"Well, I'd rather be wet and scared with you in a storm than being food for a Hollow."

"Hollow?" the Uchiha repeated in confusion.

"That giant monster. They appear every so often in Rukongai, but the Soul Reapers usually take care of 'em before they eat anybody. You're the first person I've seen other than a Soul Reaper to face a Hollow and live. You really are awesome, you know that Itachi-nii? I'm sorry about not listening to you earlier about training…I'll listen to you from now on."

"It's alright, Renji. But I'm keeping a much stricter eye on you from now on. That means no going anywhere without telling me again."

"Awwwwwwww! Come oooooooon! You're supposed to be my brother, not my mom! Give me a break here!"

Unknown to either of them as they began to make their way back to Inuzuri, a vigilant eye had been watching the two males the entire time. The figure smiled from his position on the mountain, watching the Hollow's body burn away even as the rain pelted against the black flames.

"Amaterasu…the legendary inextinguishable black flames of Hell itself, said to burn for seven days and nights until the target has been snuffed from the material world forever. To think I would actually see it today and summoned from a lowly resident living in the Rukongai. This 'Itachi'…I'll be sure to keep my eye on you."

* * *

**I'm sorry this took so long to get out, but I did some heavy-duty thinking. I was originally gonna have Renji be the only Soul Reaper that had the chakra network, but my muse wouldn't allow it. So, I decided that I'm going to make a few other BLEACH characters that can trace their heritage back to the _Naruto_ universe in some way. So far, I've chosen two and I'm thinking on a possible third. Keep in mind that I'm also considering the Arrancar as well when I'm doing this. I've also decided that I'm bringing back a familiar face later on in the story, around the time when Renji and Itachi are entering the Soul Reaper Academy. I couldn't resist bringing him into this story and he's one of my favorite characters. I'll leave it up to your imaginations as to who it is, but I'll give virtual cookies to whoever manages to guess right before I get to that point!**

**So, here we have some brotherly bonding and Renji beginning his shinobi training. Geez, this story is popular and it's only got three chapters so far! I'm flattered! I can't imagine what the stats will be later on when the action starts to happen! Please review!**


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